No half-pipe at ski area this winter

Environmentalists are angry that after a multi-year battle over ski expansion at Wachusett Mountain, the Alpine Park is in violation of conditions provided by the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act.

Instead of putting the snowboard half-pipe in an area where 12 acres of old trees were cut down to accommodate the new ski trails and park, the half-pipe was installed on an existing trail. At the time WMA said a half-pipe on the trail wasn't feasible and the new area had to be cleared.

Because installing the half-pipe in a location other than that specified by MEPA would be a violation, Wachusett Mountain Associates is not planning to have a half-pipe at the ski area this coming winter season.

"We can afford to put in a half-pipe but we can't afford to permit it," said Wachusett Mountain Associates General Manager David Crowley. "We've already spent $1.3 million on legal costs and environmental studies as part of the last expansion project. We're not anxious to step in front of that train again."

In order for WMA to move forward with the half-pipe they would have to submit a notice of project change to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act, said Crowley.

"The half-pipe at the Wachusett Mountain Ski area is made completely of snow," said Crowley. "In the past we've asked for permission to mound up dirt to create the half-pipe, it saves on energy costs and is better environmentally.

"To have something as portable as a half-pipe go before MEPA doesn't make sense," he added. "It's a ski operator issue, it's not like we're replacing a bridge. MEPA reviews large-scale projects. So there's a lot of money at stake to go before MEPA. It's not worth going through the bureaucracy to put in a half-pipe for our snowboarders. It would take years, additional legal fees and environmental studies."

Crowley said ski areas across the country are eliminating half-pipes because of the high cost of making snow.

Crowley believes that the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, owner of the state reservation, could make the decision about the half-pipe location.

When WMA initially proposed the half-pipe it was going to be located on Trail 5A, said Crowley.

"We had originally proposed a trail and chair lift to the summit, but by the time all the compromises were made to stay away from wetland areas and old growth trees, when the trail was finished, it was too narrow," he said.

This past season the half-pipe was located on the existing Look Ma Trail instead of in the Alpine Park.

At the July 30 meeting of the Wachusett Mountain Advisory Council, Heidi Ricci, representing Massachusetts Audubon, noted that the DCR had not given permission for the half-pipe on the Look Ma Trail. In a June 6, 2007 letter to Wachusett Mountain Associations, DCR General Counsel Thomas J. LaRosa advised the Crowleys that they needed to take steps by December 31, 2007 to either implement the snowboard park, including the halfpipe area for customer use in the 2008-2009 season as proposed within the MEPA filings, or request formal consideration of an alternative location and go before MEPA with that proposal.

"The concern I have is the soil was bulldozed without permission and a MEPA review," said Ricci. "That still needs to be addressed."

Don Stoddard, representing Wachusett Mountain Associations, disagreed that any large amount of soil had been disturbed to put the half-pipe on the Look Ma Trail and there was no violation.

Donna Brownell, president of Watchdogs for an Environmentally Safe Town, presented a photograph showing a large area of disturbance. Brownell called Stoddard's explanation "hogwash."

"I'm absolutely livid this is still going on five years later," said Brownell. "Back in 2003, tree sitters spent 47 days in the trees protesting all the old red oak trees that were going to be cut for the Alpine Park. Now there is no snowboard park where it was supposed to be. We've all been lied to. I don't want to hear this whining from WMA about expenses. Something should have been done about this a long time ago."

At the time, WMA said the new area where the trees had to be cut was the only place the snowboard park could be located, Ricci said. "We're eight months beyond the time that WMA was supposed to respond to DCR," she said.

Wachusett Mountain Advisory Council Chairman Thomas Sullivan said he would follow up to see whether WMA received the letter from LaRosa and report back to the council.

According to the June 6 letter, it was copied to officials at MEPA, and to Sullivan, Ricci and WMA.